Hands-On – Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier Fairmined – Original, Luxurious and… Ethical
The classic elegance of L.U.C Chopard, with a contemporary twist and a hint of fair trade… because yes, watchmaking can also take care of social development and environmental protection. Meet the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier Fairmined, a slender limited edition timepiece resonating a unique perception of elegance, powered by a superb micro-rotor movement and crafted in ethical pink gold.
We knew it, as soon as we tried it on. You guys knew it too, judging by the comments, which have usually gone something like, “I’d never been that interested in Bulgari before, but….” And naturally Bulgari knew it, which is why their booth at Baselworld dedicated its grandest display space to tell the story: the Octo Finissimo Automatic in titanium is the most refined mens piece ever for the brand in the ‘accessible’ category. By ‘accessible’ – around $18k – we’re not talking entry level, but it certainly is a newly affordable price point for a barely there piece that holds the record for the thinnest automatic watch on the market. In addition there’s a fully murdered out Octo, with all black errrrrrrthang. And the softly cased new Octo Roma, which heartens with its warm tones and gentler curves.
There’s a lot of love in the Time+Tide office for the Slim d’Hermès collection – it’s classic, classy and somewhat free from the Swiss traditionalism that constrains the rest of the fine watch industry. So we’re very happy to see Hermès continuing to expand this relatively young collection, this time with a new platinum-cased perpetual calendar. A perpetual calendar has been part of the family from the beginning. When the Slim was announced in 2015, the rose gold case with silver dial was the complicated heart of the range – a mature take on a traditional function. Structurally this new platinum version is exactly the same: 39.5mm case, in-house H1950 base movement with Agenhor calendar module, and impeccable Hermès strap. The only real changes are the case material and the new, deep blue dial. Cosmetic tweaks, but enough to make this feel like a completely different watch (and not just because the platinum adds some serious heft). The blue sunburst dial is oh-so on trend, with just the right touch of mystery. I particularly like how the mother-of-pearl moon and its aventurine night sky blend into the dial, as well as the little pop of red on the second time…